Hair curler



Patented July 6, 1926.

AIERN'S'L J. DAHLEN, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

HAIR centen.

Application fixed March 21, 1925. Serin No. 17,216.

ot tongs or jaws hinged together so that they' can be closed upon the hair from one side for the purpose of kgripping it.

. To those versatile and familiar with this particularart, itis well known ythat in eni- A Ul ploying curling irons of the above character, a wave in the hair may be produced in sevei`- al different manners, depending upon Vthe Construction of the tongs or jaws of the curling iron proper. That isfto say, if the jaws regularin contour, the wave is usually produced by' first grip pine the hair and then twisting' it around both or the jaws or tongs. 4

0n the other hand, it one of thetongs pre- 'sents a convex surface towards the ha'ir and the other a cooperating concave surface, the

hair or other material therebetween talres'an analogous shape when gripped between the tongs without the necessity otan'y twisting.

Now, l desire it understood, that although l have disclosed, as the preferred embodiment lot my invention, a curling iron having a convex shaped jaw and a cooperating concave shaped jaw that my invention is not to be limited thereby, for it is equally well ap plicable to any type of curling iron. Furthermore, l n do not desire my invention to he limited to electrically heated curling irons, for it may be applied togas heated irons, as well as other types, without deviating' from the features and principles of'my invention. j

An object or my invention is to provide an improved curling iron of simple, compact and inexpensive construction.

VAnother object of my invention is to provide a curling iron equippedwith a yieldable swivel or hinge, to permit thev swiveled end of one of the jaws to he moved away from the associated lower jaw. A

A still further object ol' my invention is to provide a curling iron wherein' the hair is gripped uniformly throughout the entire length ojl the jaws of the iron'and ltov .obviate the possibilities ot the hair binding the aws when placed between the jaws adjacent to' the swivel.

In accordance with thegeneral features of the present invention-7 there i's provided a curling iron equipped witha pair of jaws or tongs, the lower jaw presenting a convex surface t-o the hair andthe upperjaw presenting aconcave surface to the hair, yield ably hinged together. Resilient means is provided 'for urging the concave shaped jaw always into contact with the convex'shaped jaw `but permitting lthe swivelled end of the concave jaw to move upwardly when sufficient pressure or leverage s applied thereto.

In accordance with other features ofthe invention there is provided improved elec trical connections for the curling iron vto 'efect proper heating thereof. y

Other objects and-advantages ofthe present-invention will more fully appear from the following detailed descriptiontaken in connection with the-accompanying drawings which illustrate one embodiment thereof, and in whichj Figure 1 is a plan view of a curling iron embodied' with the features of the present invention;

Figure Qvis a front elevation thereoltshowing in dotted lines one of the jaws in an' "open position;

Figure 3. is an enlarged centralvertical section taken on'a line 3-3 of Figure Vl, and

Figure 4 is ya sectional View Vtaken on 'al line fie-4 of Figure 3 looking inthe direction indicated by the arrows.

Referring now to drawings in detailin which' like reference numerals designate sim-' ilar partsthroughoutthe several views 1"() denotes a handle which may be made of any suit-able material, preferablyhowever, `or' a molded character'. Each end of the handle is equipped with a concentric circular apertiire, both' apertures being'prefer'ahly' in alignment. Moldedin one of these vapertures is a inel'allic sleeve ll vand molded in .the other aperture is a metallic sleeve l2` (Figure 3)- One end of a jawor tong, which I shall hereinafter term a heating rod 13, is tightly fitted into the sleeve l1, The

heating rod-11% constitutes the lower j'a'w of the curling iron and is ot a convex contour. The' heat-ing rod 13 is stationary and is adapted tocoopera-te with a concave shaped movable jaw or tong 14 positioned thereover. l j

`PositionedA adjacent that endof kthe handle l0, in which the sleeve 1l is located, is a member' l5 equipped with an aperture 16 through which one end of the heatingk rod 13` passes and is suitably secured'thereto. The member extends upwardly for a short distance, and is equipped with a right angle lateral projection 17. The upper part oi' the member 15, including the lateral projection 17, is recessed to form a housing for a spring 18. The spring 18 is secured at 19 to the upper part et the lateral projection 17. is clearly shown in Figures 3 and a, lthe jaw sl is equipped with au arm 2t, coinjin'ising two legs 2l and 22 between which the stationary heating rod 13 passes. The arm 2O projects downwardly and laterally Afrom the jaw or tongue 111 and is at an obtuse angle with respect to the tong 141-.. rfhe lewermost ends ot the legs 21 and 22 are oined by a cross member 28, prelerably knurled on its lower tace. Integral with and projecting upwardly and laterally at about a right angle to the tong 1l` is a bracket 2l comprising two legs and 2G. Leg 26 is equipped with an aperture 27 near its upper end and leg is equipped with an aperture 28 near its upper end.

The lateral projection 17 oi' the member 15 is equipped with a pair oit' legs 29 and 30, as shown in Figure 1, which telescope the bracket 24. Connecting the legs and 8O is a pin 31 which is secured to the said legs. The ends of the pin 81 project into the apertures 27 and 28, respectively, Al'rom the legs 2G and 25. The apertures 27 and 28 are larger than the diameter of the pin se as lo permit the end oli the tong 'lfl to ride up and down on the pin 31, as will be mere vfully explained hereinafter. l t

lhe primary portion ot the spring 18 is secured at 1S) to the projection 17. The spring 18 is extended into the space separating the legs 29 and 30 of the projection 17 and encircles the pin 31. The legs or ends 82 and 83 ol the spring 18 Xtend downwardly 'trom the bracket 2l along the inner wall of each of the legs 21 and 22, respectively. The. ends 82 and are secured at points 3-1 and to the legs 21 and 22, respectively. It should be noted that the ends o'l the spring are turned outwardly and then downwardly so as to completely clear the heating rod 18 L1). lThe part oi' the spring 18 encircling the pin 81 and eX- tending downwardly shall be hereinafter reierrcd to as the secondary portion ot the spring. The spring 18 tends to at all times urge the lever arm 2O ot" the tong or aw 1-l into 'the position shown in Figure 23.

The stationary heating rod 13 is hollow so as to provide a casing or housing i'or the heating wires referred to generally by the reference numeral a0. The ends ot' theiheating wires 40 terminate in the sleeves a1 and l2 which receive the end of the electrodes d3 and sa', respectively. The other end ot the electrode la emerges in a central aperture Ll-5 in the handle 10 connected to the aperture and the end of the handle. Fitted in the sleeve 12 is a swiveled plug 416 equipped with a cap 47 threaded thereon. rlhe cap t7 is provided with an opening 48 in which is secured a flexible conduit cord l). The conductors 50 and 51 or' the cord 4:9 are secured to terminals 52 and 53 by suitable screws withing an opening 5K1 in the plug L16. Secured at one end to the terminal 53 and extending in\\'ardly through the plug llli into the aperture L1:5 is a een trai electrode 5l. equipped with an enlarged end litted in a bore 5G located inside ol" the handle. As best shown in Figure 3, the end 57 ot' the electrode Ll-l is normally in en gagement with the end ot the electrode 51.

r'Ehe inner end el. the plug lfG is equipped `with an annular contact ring GO and an annular groove 61 into which the end G2 ol the electrode Li8 projects, mal-:ing contact with the ring G0. The Contact ring G0 is connccted by a wire (SJ with the terminal 52.

rthe operation ot my improved curling iron is as follows:

Normally as previously mentioned, the double acting spring 18 maintains the tong 1dand its associated lever arm 2O in the position shown in Fig. 3. In order to separate the tong 111 from the stationary heating iron 13, the lever arm 20 is pushed itor ward from the handle 10 cansino' the integral tong 111- to be pivoted on tlie pin 31. The hair to be curled is then inserted intermediate the tong 14 and the rod 1&3. Upon releasing hold of the lever arm 20, the tong 1l will be 'forced downwardly by the action olf the spring 18. New it' it was not for the movable ulcrum feature, the tong 1a in closing upon the rod 13 would tend to cause the hair therebetween to be pushed backwardly and the pressure would not be applied unilormly to the whole length of the hair. By pushing upwardly on the arm 20, the spring 18 may be expanded and the tong 1li moved upwardly. rl`he apertures 27 and 28 permit the end of the tong 11i, formed into the bracket 21, to be moved upwardly about the pin 81. Vlhis action will enable the tong 1st to be closed evenly and uniformly upon the hair. That is to say, the tong 111 will be substantially parallel to the heating rod 'i8 when being closed.

This type of a swivel or pivot is highly advantageous, inasmuch as it not only facilitates the handling of the curling iron, but its use also results in a tar better looking wave in the hair, inasmuch as the pressure is applied uniformly to the hair placed therebetween. This construction also miniinizes the possibilities of the hair being caught at the pivot point oi` the tong and the heating iron and becoming burnt therefrom.

Also, the improved handle 10 of my curling iron, enables the stationary heating rod 13 and its associated tong 1-1 to be readily detached therefrom. The handle 10 may be lll') easily and quickly connected to any lamp or wall socket connection through the medium of the detachable swivel plug i6 and the associated cord 49. Then again, the handle l oftentimes becomes damaged or broken and it is desirable to replace it. Now, in my construction,- by merely pulling the plug out at one end and the heating rod out of the other end, the handle is` completely separated from the curling iron and a new one may be applied to replace it.

Now, I desire it understood that, although I have disclosed and described specificially one embodiment which I consider the preferred embodiment of my invention, the appended claims are the only criteria upon which the scope and breadth of my invention should be based.

I claim: n

l. In a curling iron, a first gripping member, a second gripping member pivetally attached at one end to an end of the said first gripping member, resilient means encircling the pivot for permitting the pivoted end of the second gripping member to be moved away from the first member, and a lever member connected to the pivoted end of the second gripping member and extending to the opposite side of said first grippiniy member for spreading the pivoted ends or "he said gripping members apart.

Q. In a curling iron,a heating rod, a handle detachably 'mounted on the said heating rod in longitudinal alignment therewith, a concave shaped member pivotally attached at one end to an end of the said heating rod, a lever member integral with the pivoted end oi the said concave shaped member and extending tothe opposite side of the said heating rod for causing the pivoted end of the concave shaped .member to be moved a way 'from the said heating rod and resilient means associated with the concave shaped member on the side opposite that ofY the lever member for applying tension to the pivot of the heating rod and its associated member.

3. In a curling iron, a first gripping member, a second gripping member pivoted at one end to the said first gripping member, resilient means connecting the said pivoted end of the said second gripping member to the said first gripping member for urging the pivoted end of the second member into contact with the first member, and a lever member integral with the said pivoted end of the second gripping member and extending to the opposite side of theV said first gripping member adapted to counteract the urging tendency of the said resilient means and to space the pivoted end of the second gripping member from the first gripping member.

In a curling iron, a first tong member, a second tong member pivoted to one side ot' the said first tong member, an element integral with the said second tong member and extending to the opposite side of the said first tong member, the said tong members having a free fioating pivot, the said element being movable to separate the tong members, and resilient means associated with the second tong member on the side of the first tong member opposite to that ot' the said element for tensioning the pivot in the separation of the tong members.

5. Ina curling iron, a pair of tong members, a pivot between them, a spring associated with the pivot, and a connection between the spring and one of the tong members for enabling the springv to serve as a pivot about which one member is pivoted when moved away from the other.

G. In a curling iron, a pair of tong members, resilient means between the members serving as a pivot for enabling one of the members to be moved parallelly away from the other, and a pivot associated with the spring, for limiting the said parallel movement and about which one tong member may be moved angularly with respect to the other tong member.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 18th day of March, 1925.

ERNST J. DAHLEN. 

